World’s First Explorer-Ship Christening Under the Midnight Sun

Exploration cruise line Hurtigruten’s newest vessel was christened in spectacular Lofoten, north of the Arctic Circle on the coast of northern Norway.

Published 07.06.2016

The christening event featured thousands of people in the town square at Svolvaer, a former fishing village and one of the most spectacular adventure travel destinations in the world today and one of the highlights of Hurtigruten’s Norwegian coastal voyages.

“Adventure travel is one the fastest growing global tourism mega trends and Lofoten offers everything the new adventure traveler seeks: Spectacular scenery, authenticity, a unique history and atmosphere, and access to active nature-based experiences. Svolvaer in many respects mirrors the modern Hurtigruten, being a world leading provider of explorer cruises with activity, learning, and sustainability in the core”, said Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam.

The new explorer ship is named MS Spitsbergen, after the largest island in the Svalbard Archipelago. This very northernmost part of Norway, next to the North Pole, is also where Hurtigruten founder Richard With first started exploration tourism in the Arctic in 1896.

Polar Pioneer and mountaineer christens the MS Spitsbergen

Cecilie Skog is one of the most acclaimed and accomplished contemporary Norwegian explorers, with numerous impressive achievements including expeditions to the North Pole, the South Pole, Mount Everest, Antarctica, and Greenland. She has also climbed the ‘Seven Summits’: She has stood at the top of the highest mountain on each of Earth’s seven continents. Polar pioneer Skog smashed the champagne bottle into the ship’s side to officially christen MS Spitsbergen.

Arctic Adventure Awaits

After a first season in Norway, MS Spitsbergen will alternate between the Norwegian coast and polar expeditions. Starting in 2017, guests can sail on MS Spitsbergen to Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe and Shetland Islands, as well as to Arctic Canada. One of many exceptional landings in Canada is L'Anse aux Meadows, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the first Viking settlements in North America were discovered in 1960.

“Archeological findings suggest this is the place where pioneer explorer Leif Eriksson went ashore and named it ‘Vinland’. Coming here and to the other historic sites with MS Spitsbergen, more than a 1,000 years later, resonates with our Viking spirit and Hurtigruten’s pioneering ambitions”, says Skjeldam.

Between the years of 800 and 1000, the feared and fabled Vikings carried out a number of expeditions to explore the North Atlantic Ocean. This expedition follows a route described in the Vinland Sagas.

This expedition includes the chance to visit two national parks, several different settlements, and intriguing cities. Along the way, guests will experience remarkable archaeological remains and gain insight into the interesting history of the Vikings.

This expedition explores the unspoiled regions on both sides of Baffin Bay. From Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada, via the grand landscapes of Baffin Island, to Greenland, where guests can touch an iceberg with their bare hands and marvel at the power of nature in the Ilulissat Icefjord.

About Hurtigruten and the Hurtigruten Fleet

Hurtigruten has been operating ships on the original Norwegian coastal route since 1893. The company brings goods, local passengers, and tourists to 34 ports along the unique Norwegian coast between Bergen and Kirkenes every day of the year. Hurtigruten explorer ship MS Fram sails in Antarctica, around Spitsbergen, and around Greenland.

Exploration tourism is a fast-growing segment of the travel industry and MS Spitsbergen adds flexibility to Hurtigruten’s global operations, as the company now operates four ships offering guests unique natural and cultural experiences from pole to pole.

In the High Arctic, Hurtigruten now offers voyages to Greenland, Iceland, around Spitsbergen, and starting in 2017, to Arctic Canada. In the Southern Hemisphere, Hurtigruten takes guests to the waters around Antarctica, along both coasts of South America; and starting in 2017, to the mighty Amazon Rainforest.